6:28 p.m. Vikings' 2nd Drive 2:54Minnesota 37, Green Bay 34
Walsh 29 yd FG
There's enough time to stop the Vikings and get the ball back for a game wininng drive. But the Packers must stop the Vikings in their territory. No big return. As Greg Matzek reminded me on Twitter, Walsh has a cannon of a leg.

Peterson stuffed again. Hasn't had much. But he can break it anytime.

AGAIN! Packers swarm Peterson at the line of scrimmage.

3rd-11 at MIN 26: after the two minute warning.

Uh oh. Jenkins. Wide open. Burned Hayward and Burnett. Past the 50. And with Jerel Worthy hurt and carted off the field, exhorting his teammates, the Vikings have maybe five yards to go to get into field goal range.

Ponder. Peterson. Uh oh. Bounce out...but he's stopped at the 41. Could have been much worse.

Cannot give up any more yardage with Walsh's leg. Good thing the ball was out of bounds.

Jennings! Big first down near the 26. One-man screen, and Jennings beat the guy he had to beat to get the first down.

Harris does his mini-APete impersonation, dragging a tackler three yards for a six-yard gain.

3rd-4 at MIN 22: Rodgers...Jennings cut too late outside for the ball to come to him. Tying field goal? Crosby?

YES!

3rd Quarter

5:51 p.m. Vikings' 3rd Drive 1:56
Holding on the return vs. Minnesota, and that may save McCarthy from his 15 yard malfeasance.

This game feels more like the 2009 debacle in the Humpty Dump and the Favre game, especially with Peterson's brilliance like Favre's that year. But something tells me this Packers team still has something to say about that.

3rd-7 at MIN 24: make that 3rd-12 at MIN 19. Momentum swinging.

Gerhart stopped with a rare textbook tackle today. Walden providing it. The lead is in the view of the Packers.

3rd-3 at GB 20, a place that has been majorly problematic, especially early today.

Rodgers deep! Nelson! Had two guys beat, but lost the sprint to the end zone. Still, they're 10 yards from paydirt after a 70-yard bomb.

1st-goal at MIN 10: Jones cuts, breaks a tackle...uh oh. Ball loose. A Viking reached for the ball and got it, but what's the call? JONES TOUCHED THE BALL ON THE GOAL LINE! The ref said Vikings ball, but this will be changed back if the refs do it right.

This won't be a touchdown, but it will be 2nd-and-goal on the 15 thanks to McCarthy throwing a challenge flag when he's not allowed to. (Stupid rule.)

Flaggage as Rodgers got shoved to the ground near the Vikings bench after the 1st down incompletion. Brinkley shoved him, and Rodgers did a little acting job to get the flag. Not much acting needed, but it helped.

Harris gets some blocking, a lot of good blocking on a screen pass, and Harris cut back to get 11 yards. If Harris was slightly faster, he'd be running to the state line right now.

Harris again. Inside Vikings territory. The Packers can gash Minnesota both on the ground and through the air. They'll need to this play.

3rd-1.5 at MIN 45: make that 3rd-6.5 at 50, thanks to Don Barclay's malfeasance.

FUMBLE! Rodgers scrambled and lost it...and the Vikings have gathered it in. Robison tomahawked the ball loose. The arm was not coming forward, I don't think.

Whoa boy. Fumble.

5:09 p.m. Vikings' 1st Drive 11:56
The Packers are dangerous in the playoffs, not because they have momentum, but they can overcome momentum with the ability to overcome adversity. That ability is found in their explosive passing game. You just saw what it can do.

Peterson. Wide lane to the 40 yard line. Raji. Williams. Both missed tackles. Peterson may hold the NFL record for most broken tackles. By the way, 2,000 yards, too.

3rd-4 at MIN 46: Thanks, Hayward, and the Packers can get the lead next drive.

3rd-goal at MIN 6: Rodgers...catch...Finley...Flag....touchdown? None are sure immediately. Before the flag...holding on the Vikings' D. Three new shots at it. Obvious. The Vikings linebacker had Finley's helmet in a headlock.

1st-goal at MIN 2: Diving catch? Nope. Juggle and drop by Jennings.

2nd-goal at MIN 2: ARod...forever to throw...no one open for Green Bay. Horrific.

3rd-goal at MIN 2: Must score. Must punch it in. Thanks to Rodgers' scrambling and delivery, yes! Jennings!

4:16 p.m. Vikings' 2nd Drive 10:47
Vikings 11 yard line means that Peterson can get 89 yards closer to the NFL rushing record. Especially if the Packers fail at tackling like they have.

3rd-4 at MIN 17: FINALLY! A three-and-out. Pass wide of Simpson. Now, for the Packers to avoid three-and-out disease.

"Nice to see the Packers defense get off the field in a reasonable amount of downs." - Larry McCarren

4:06 p.m. Packers' 1st Drive 14:51
Really must score here.

Ross! Guys chasing him! 44 yards after he slipped through the right-center of the Packers' sorta-wedge.

Larry McCarren: "Ross is sort of north and south. Not a lot of east and west!"

Huge field position at a time when they need it.

Harris! Nine yards for the little guy, with a little frame for tacklers to grasp.

Again, Harris. "Summoning his inner Adrian Peterson." - Wayne Larrivee. First down. Let him work the rest of the game. More energy, more cutting. Grant didn't seem sure of himself.

No running game to speak of yet, as Grant is not even getting to half-speed in the backfield, nor is he doing any major cutbacks.

3rd-5 at GB 25: Tip between the ball's path from Rodgers to Jennings. Three-and-outs won't win playoff games, or near-playoff games. If the teams with momentum entering the playoffs win Super Bowls, this won't cut it for Green Bay.

SACK TIME? Nope, at least according to the original call. But the knees were down, on my look, when Ponder delivered the ball. Smart challenge.

The refs agree. Yes, it is sack time for Matthews!

3rd-12 at MIN 40: Gerhart. Uh oh. Off to the races. The not-so-quick one rumbled for 21 yards, with the help of bad tackling. The Vikings' offense is in gear, though not-so-textbook tackling doesn't help.

Uh oh. Peterson. Broken tackle means another 20 yards. Brad Jones with the whiff and it means a 23-yard gain. This is 2008-style tackling, and we all know what happened that year to the Packers due to their defensive malfeasances.

Peterson. Cutback. Uh oh. Vikings in control. Wayne: "They have no answer, at least not yet, for Adrian Peterson."

3:34 p.m. Packers' 1st Drive 10:47
Grant starts the Packers' first possession with not much. Two yards. Not an effective cutback by Grant in the backfield. Not effective blocking either.

3rd-4 at GB 26: Rodgers' receiver, James Jones, slipped and fell. The ball nearly became a tipped pick for the Vikings. Thankfully, Rodgers threw the ball to Bloomington.

3:25 p.m. Vikings' 1st Drive 15:00 left in 1st quarterMinnesota 3, Green Bay 0
Walsh 54 yd FG
First play: who else? Peterson. This time, no gain, thanks to Burnett penetration on the defensive left side. He beat Jenkins' block.

Play action, and Rudolph is the recipient of a first down pass. Only four defenders on the opposite side of the fake handoff, and the key pass worked perfectly.

Peterson's first big run. 12 yards. Spin move behind the line of scrimmage. 90% of NFL running backs can't do that. He can. The Packers must tackle better. If they do, that's a one-yard loss.

3rd-7 at MIN 48: Ponder to Simpson, and eight yards. He beat Williams, with dreadlocks in his wake.

3:14 p.m.
Bears fans, welcome to Packers Planet. Even for a few hours. Remember: you drink Wisconsin beers and wear cheese on your heads. And you're proud of it.

If the Packers should win, be careful what you wish for. The 49ers or Seahawks will gladly have their Bear-meat cutting objects ready for you in the wildcard round.

2:42 p.m.
Mike McCarthy w/Wayne Larrivee:

On the intensity of today:
"We're playing to sweep our division...we have that opportunity. Practices have been very spirited. We're ready go to."

On Randall Cobb's inactive status:
"Randall is close. If this was not a regular season game, we'd feel differently."

On the post-season atmosphere expected today at the Metrodome:
"This is definitely going to be a playoff atmosphere...this is a great experience, a ton of energy...it's important for us to stay consistent, focus and finish."

2:26 p.m.
The Giants seem to have control of their final regular season game against Philadelphia, leading 35-7 in the 4th quarter, but unless Detroit comes back on the Bears, the New York Giants have zero life left. That's much to the happiness of Packers fans who loathe that possible playoff matchup.

That's such a reason for the Packers to root for the Bears today, and not just vice versa.

Why is Cobb the biggest inactive? Green Bay will need all weaponry available to go point-for-point in what will be an inspired Vikings running game with Adrian Peterson.

12:00 a.m.
For the Green Bay Packers, it doesn't come all the way down to this, but a win sure would help their effort to win a 14th world championship.

For the Minnesota Vikings, it probably comes down to this.

Barring a minor miracle of dominoes disguised as NFC wildcard contenders falling later today, the Vikings have to beat the Green Bay Packers in the Humpty Dump (officially known as Mall of America Field at the H.H.H. Metrodome) today to make the playoffs.

The Packers probably have to win to clinch a first-round bye in said playoffs, and get not just a week off from the wildcard round but a home game in the divisional round.

The Packers are indoors, on a fast track, the perfect kind of conditions with which to unleash their often unbeatable-in-a-dome passing game.

Aaron Rodgers and the deepest receiving corps in the league have helped the Packers win eight of their last nine games in games where a man-made structure blocks the view of the sky.

The Packers can certainly put up points against the Minnesota defense, but will they have the capability to stop an inspired Adrian Peterson and an offensive line trying to open enough holes for him to break Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record?

The absence of Charles Woodson could again prove to be the undoing of the Packers' efforts in trying to contain Peterson enough to hold the score down and make Minnesota one-dimensional.

Don't be surprised if Peterson rushes for more than 200 yards and breaks the rushing record.

But don't be surprised if that's not enough for the Vikings to halt Green Bay's march to a first-round bye that they could desparately use to help get a more-than-nicked-up team healthy for the playoffs.

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